curtains get closed when it's getting dark outside

[Japhy]

Hi!

I'm new to this forums, so let me introduce myself:
I live in Vienna/Austria and I'm no professional pilot (not even a privat one, to be honest ). But I enjoy flight simming and I have gathered quite I lot of information about aircraft and how to fly them (although I'd NEVER say that I can fly one ).

My question: on long international flights (EDDF to MMMX for example), cabin crews close the curtains when it gets dark outside.
Why do they bother, when it's dark outside anyway? Is there some kind of technical reason for this?

[TightSlot]

The point is that it gets light later on in the sector - with a time change, the period of darkness can be quite short. If the blinds are left open, sleeping pax may be woken by a shaft of hi-intensity sunlight streaming through a window: Since they may wish to sleep for some hours more, we draw down the shadeblinds (Maybe they have curtains in first class?)

[Final 3 Greens]

Tightslot

Never curtains in first, in my experience, just about 3-4 shadeblinds per pax due to the seat pitch

[TightSlot]

LOL

Sure you're right, 3 Greens: Us charter folk can only guess how things are up there!

[BRUpax]

My objection is F/As wanting to close the blinds on a middle-of-the-day seven hour westbound sector! With let's say an 1100 hours departure from Europe and an 1800-1900 hrs arrival (N European time) on the East coast of the USA, or similar, I don't naturally want to sleep. Eastbound, as explained above, it is quite understandable.

[Globaliser]

But many pax do want to sleep on a westbound, because it's a long, long day and many have things to do when they get off at the other end. Unless you darken the cabin, it makes it difficult.

Also, the IFE is better watched in a darkened cabin, and the shades have a slight effect in reducing noise. And a dark cabin is naturally quieter and calmer than one which is brightly lit.

[BRUpax]

I guess we'll have to have BLINDS and NO BLINDS cabins!

I don't see why those of us who don't want to sleep but want to work on the flight should have darkness forced upon us during a daytime flight. I believe eye masks (or whatever they're called) are provided in the travel kits for those who want darkness.

[TightSlot]

I don't see why those of us who don't want to sleep ... etc. etc.

It's apparently called tolerance. There's this old fashioned idea that sometimes, you sacrifice something you want for the sake of the wishes or comfort of others. It's particularly useful in circumstances where a lot of people are confined in a restricted space, but is rarely seen these days!

I don't mean to suggest that you are intolerant, just that it seems a fairly small price to pay for the potential comfort of others - that's just my dime! Say "No thanks" when I offer to pull down the blind, and I'll smile and leave you your daylight. and still cheerfully bring you your coffee.

[BRUpax]

But surely Tightslot , tolerance should work both ways. In reality I just keep the peace and close my blinds like a good boy without a murmur (wouldn't dare argue with some of the F/As I get these days). I am using this medium to air my point of view. I am in fact a very tolerant person but at times I wonder why it's always me who gives way. And if I was not to, you would all jump on my back and call me intolerant. May I dare to suggest that perhaps those who want shades down in the middle of the day are the intolerent ones?

[TightSlot]

Fair point... accepted